by I. T. Lucas
As David’s heart made a happy flip, his legs lost their solid footing, and he swayed. What if Jonah reincarnated as Jacki and Kalugal’s baby?
He felt as if the stars had aligned and the cosmic order had righted itself. It had to be so.
Sari caught his elbow and steadied him. “Are you alright?” She regarded him with concern in her eyes. “You look paler than usual.”
“I need to sit down.”
She led him to an armchair and sat down with him. “What happened?”
“Jonah,” he murmured. “I have a feeling he’s going to come back to me sooner than I thought.”
Sari nodded. “Fates willing.”
Amanda regarded them both with curious eyes. “Don’t leave us in the dark. Who is Jonah, and what’s his story?”
As David cleared his throat and readied to answer, the door opened and Ojidu came in, rolling a cart in front of him. Kalugal and Jacki were right behind him.
“Congratulations.” A big grin spreading over his face, Kalugal walked up to David and offered him his hand. “I knew that you would make it. How are you feeling?”
“A little dazed.”
“Congratulations,” Jacki said. “To both of you.” She smiled at Sari. “I can imagine how relieved you are.”
Kian pulled out two chairs for the newcomers. “Take a seat. David was just about to tell us an interesting story.”
“Before I do that, I hear that congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you,” Jacki said.
How was he going to tell them that he believed his brother was going to be reborn as their baby?
It was only a feeling, which could be more like wishful thinking than a premonition. He had no proof, and if he told them what he believed, they might get upset.
“So, what’s the story with Jonah?” Amanda asked again. “And how is he connected to Jacki and Kalugal’s baby.”
Damn. Now he had no choice.
“Jonah was my twin brother, and he died five years ago. I’m hoping that he will reincarnate in the clan. Perhaps even as your baby.”
“Was he a good man?” Jacki asked.
“He was charming, brilliant, and driven.” He didn’t add that Jonah had lacked compassion and had been arrogant and self-absorbed. His brother might be different the next time around.
“My kind of guy,” Kalugal said. “I’m not sure I believe in reincarnation, though.”
“What I’m about to tell you might convince you.” David clasped Sari’s hand. “Jonah came to me while I was in a coma. He told me that we have reincarnated many times as brothers, or good friends, or as father and son.” He looked at Annani. “The Clan Mother knew us as Gudbrand and Olek.”
Annani’s eyes widened. “Jonah was Olek?”
“No. Jonah was Gudbrand. I was Olek.”
Those who knew the story looked just as stunned as he’d expected them to be, and the goddess seemed doubtful.
“How can that be? You have dreamt about me. I had very little contact with Olek.”
“The strong connection Jonah and I shared extended to dreams. As Gudbrand, he was obsessed with you, and as Jonah, he dreamt about you. I don’t remember Jonah telling me about his dreams, but maybe he did. My spin on them was influenced by a book I read, so they weren’t the same. I was embarrassed by those dreams, so I didn’t tell Jonah about them either. After he visited me during the coma and told me the entire story, there is no doubt in my mind that I was Olek, and he was Gudbrand.”
Annani nodded. “Unless you remembered your past life, you could not have known those names, so that is a definite proof that reincarnation is real. And as for you being Olek, I have to admit that your character matches his much better than Gudbrand’s.”
“I hope that you don’t hate me for what I did.”
“Hate you? Why would I? You saved me from him. I hope that you do not hate me for making you kill your brother.”
“Hold on,” Amanda interjected. “I’m tired of hearing bits and pieces of the story and never getting the entire picture. Can someone tell me what really happened from start to finish?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Annani.
The goddess sighed. “It was a very long time ago, when I was still young and inexperienced, but that does not excuse my actions. I could have handled things better and prevented a lot of heartache.”
62
Sari
After Annani finished telling the story, a somber mood descended over the gathering.
It had been a sad tale, with even sadder consequences. The way Sari saw it, what had happened had been everyone’s fault and no one’s.
“If I may.” Kalugal was the first one to speak. “I think that the guilt the Clan Mother and David carry is misplaced. I don’t see how the situation could have been handled differently.” He turned to David. “Olek did not intend to kill his brother, he was only defending the priestess because she thralled him to do that.” He looked at Annani. “You were defending yourself, Clan Mother. If you hadn’t thralled Olek, forcing him to protect you, either he or Gudbrand would have struck you down, and the entire world would have been worse for it.”
Annani sighed. “I just wish it had not come to that. But I can never be sure that it would have. When I could not get ahold of Gudbrand’s mind, I panicked. I might have acted too soon. Perhaps Gudbrand was only bluffing, and he said that he wanted to end me to get Olek to stand down. And as for Olek, I doubt that he would have killed me. He was stricken with grief, and he was not thinking straight, but he was not a murderer.”
David shifted so he could face Annani. “Jonah said that Gudbrand would have done it, and he didn’t blame you for defending yourself. If he can forgive you, I think it’s time that you forgave yourself, Clan Mother.”
“I second that opinion,” Amanda said.
“And so do I.” Alena looked at Kian for some reason and not at their mother. “We helped Olek, aka David, transition into immortality, and the Fates rewarded his suffering with the best mate any man can hope for. If there was a debt, it has been paid.”
“I agree,” David said. “I count myself the luckiest man.” He took Sari’s hand and kissed the back of it. “This was my final destination.”
“When is the wedding?” Jacki asked.
Amanda waved a dismissive hand. “Marriage is a human tradition. David and Sari are obviously fated mates. They don’t need a ceremony to reaffirm their commitment to each other.”
David shifted again, so his mouth was next to Sari’s ear. “Nevertheless, I would like to marry you. If you’ll have me, that is.”
Amanda snorted. “You know that we can hear you, right? Whispering in a room full of immortals is an exercise in futility.”
Smiling, Sari cupped his cheek. “Your proposal is accepted. I will marry you.”
Amanda threw her hands in the air. “That wasn’t a proposal.”
“She is right.” David slid off the armchair and went down on one knee. “I don’t have a ring, but I promise to buy you one as soon as I can. For now, all I have to offer is my heart. Will you marry me, Sari?”
What had possessed him to do a silly thing like that? It was so damn embarrassing.
“On one condition.”
“Name it.”
“That you get up right now and come back to sit next to me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You are both nuts.” Amanda pushed to her feet. “What’s your hurry? You’ve known each other for less than a week.”
“So what?” Kian crossed his legs at his ankles. “I knew that Syssi was the one for me the moment I saw her.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t marry her right away.”
“Enough.” Annani lifted her hand to stop Amanda’s tirade. “David and Sari are true-love mates. Everyone here realizes that the Fates worked long and diligently to bring them together. Do you doubt the Fates’ wisdom, Amanda?”
“It has nothing to do with the Fates. I just can’t understand the rush.�
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Alena smiled. “To each her own, Amanda. I think that’s very romantic. Mother can marry them tomorrow if they wish.” She turned to Sari. “I say go for it. We are all here, and it’s a great opportunity.”
Sari wanted to marry David, but tomorrow?
“Can you stay a little longer?” she asked.
Annani nodded. “Would two more days suffice to organize a wedding party?”
“Hold on.” David lifted his hand. “I want to marry Sari as soon as possible, but I want my mother and sister to be at our wedding, which means that I need to invite my mother’s husband as well. Is that possible?”
Sari squeezed his hand. “Of course, my love. We can send the jet for them. They can attend the wedding, and when we return them to their home, we will thrall them to forget all that was out of the ordinary and the castle’s location.”
“Thank you. My mother would have never forgiven me if I got married without inviting her.”
63
David
After the family had left, Sari handed David her phone. “Are you ready to make the call, or do you need a little more time?”
He chuckled. “Given that your mother wants to leave in a couple of days, I don’t have the luxury of taking my time. I need a good story, though. My mother will probably think the reason for the shotgun wedding is that I got you pregnant. She’ll be disappointed to learn it isn’t so.”
Sari smiled. “Well, we can adjourn to the bedroom and give it our best try. Perhaps by the time your mother gets here, it will be true.”
“I wish.” He patted his lap.
Sari sat down and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Are we nuts for doing this, David? I’m not a rush person, and neither are you, and here we are talking about a wedding and having children after knowing each other for such a short time. This is fast even for immortals.”
“I know, and yet I’m convinced that we are doing the right thing.” He ran his hand over her back. “I never thought that I could fall in love so deeply. But then I never gave myself permission to do that because I was afraid of losing the people I love. I realize now that the fear was always there, even before Jonah’s death, and that was why I didn’t let myself get close even to my parents and siblings. Now I get why Stacy left me. She said that she didn’t feel the love, and she was right. I didn’t really love her. I convinced myself that she’d left me because she couldn’t deal with my grief and depression, but that was just the last straw.”
“If you didn’t love her, why did you want to marry her?”
“I thought I did. Subconsciously, I must have known that my feelings for her were superficial, and therefore her loss wouldn’t crush me.” He looked into Sari’s luminous eyes. “People hesitate to commit because they are afraid of getting trapped in a bad relationship or missing out on something better. Those were my fears. I was afraid of losing the people I love, and you freed me from the shackles of my own making. I don’t fear losing you because you are a practically indestructible immortal, because you are strong and resourceful, and because you have an entire clan who loves you and protects you. For the first time in my life, I can allow myself to leave my heart wide open and know that it is safe with you.” He cupped her cheek. “You fill it to the brim with light and love.”
For a long moment, Sari looked into his eyes, a thousand and one emotions running across her expressive face.
“I’m well acquainted with the fear of losing the people I love. We live under the constant threat of annihilation by Navuh and his Doomers. But my fear doesn’t run as deep as yours. As Olek, you lost your wife, your brother, and then your newborn child, and that pain stayed with you throughout your incarnations. The Fates must have decided that you’d suffered enough and that you deserve to be happy.”
David hoped so, but experience had taught him not to put too much faith in that hope.
Misery and heartache were the rule rather than the exception, and the vast majority of people carried around scars on their souls. Some were just better equipped to deal with the pain than others. They were more resilient, or less empathetic, or just decided to be happy despite their misfortunes.
David wished he could belong to the last group. He was resilient, but he was also sensitive and empathetic, and he hadn’t been strong enough to just decide to be happy and stick to that decision.
Perhaps if he had chosen a different profession, it would have been possible, but he didn’t regret becoming a psychologist and helping others deal with their pain. That was his calling in life, and he was good at what he did.
“You are a precious gift, my Sari, and you make me happier than I’ve ever been. But I can’t let go of my fears entirely. My remaining family, my colleagues, my students, and many others who I care about are not immortal. I worry about them. I just can’t help it.”
“You have a big heart.” She cupped his cheek. “I don’t want to add to your fears, but your family has just grown much larger, and now you also have an entire clan of immortals to worry about. Can you handle that?”
He patted his chest. “I welcome it. As you said, I have a big heart, and there is enough space in there for all of them. By the way, is the entire clan going to attend our wedding?”
“Given the rush, that’s not likely.”
Sari was the leader of nearly half of the clan. Her wedding should be a grand celebration. “Do you want to wait so everyone can attend?”
Sari shook her head. “I’m perfectly fine with having just my arm of the clan and my close family here. The last time I hosted a clan-wide celebration, it was a major hassle.”
“Are you sure?”
She leaned and planted a soft kiss on his mouth. “I’d rather spend more time with you than on preparations for a huge party.”
“Then it’s settled.” He lifted the phone. “I’m calling my mother.”
Sari pushed out of his arms. “I’ll give you privacy.”
“Stay.” He tugged on her hand. “I have no secrets from you.”
“What if your mother wants to speak to me? What am I going to tell her? She’s going to wonder about the reason for the shotgun wedding.”
“She probably will, and you can tell her that you’ve fallen madly in love with me and that you can’t wait for us to have a child together and that’s why we are rushing to get married.”
“I like it because it’s the truth.” She smiled. “Or at least a big part of it.”
Closing his eyes, David tried to recall his mother’s home number or her cellphone’s, but for some reason, the only number he remembered was his sister’s.
“I need to retrieve my phone from my suitcase. I don’t remember my mother’s number, only my sister’s.”
“If you want, you can call your sister first, and in the meantime, I’ll get your phone.” Sari rose to her feet and headed to the bedroom.
After entering the international prefix, David punched in Lisa’s number.
She answered right away. “Who is it?” She sounded stressed.
“It’s David.”
“Oh, my God! David! What the hell took you so long? I’ve been calling you like crazy for the past two days. Where are you?”
“I’m in Scotland, and I lost my phone. What’s going on?”
“Mom and Dad are missing, and I don’t know what to do. I’m all alone, and I’m freaking out.” She started crying. “Can you come? I don’t know what to do.”
David’s gut twisted into a tight knot. “What do you mean by missing?”
“Not here, lost, not answering their phones. They left Saturday morning to visit Grandma. I stayed with a friend at her house. They were supposed to come back Sunday night, but they didn’t. I called Grandma, and she said that they left her house hours ago. I kept calling them, but all the calls went straight to voicemail.”
“Did they drive?”
“Yes. Grandma lives only five hours away.”
“Did you call the police?”
“I did. I gave them the
car’s license number and Mom and Dad’s phone numbers. They told me that the car was not involved in an accident, and that they were not admitted to any hospitals. Other than that, I don't think they are doing anything because not enough time has passed since Mom and Dad went missing, and there is no evidence of foul play.”
“Did they try to track the phones? Those things emit signals even when they are turned off.”
“I don’t think so. They are not doing anything. Can you come back?”
“Of course. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Are you staying with your friend?”
“I go to her house at night and come back home in the morning. I want to be here in case someone calls the landline or comes to the house.”
“Can your friend stay with you?”
“Roxie is here. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”
“I’m taking the first flight out. If you learn anything new, call me on this number.”
While he’d talked with Lisa, Sari had returned with his phone and stood next to him with a worried expression on her face.
“Do you want to fly out tonight?” she asked when he ended the call.
“Is it possible?”
“We can take the clan’s jet that Bridget arrived on. She planned on flying out tomorrow, but I’m sure she won’t mind changing her plans given the situation. I’m going to call her right now.”
“Thank you. And I’m sorry. It would seem that the Fates don’t want us to get married yet.”
64
Sari
After speaking with Bridget, Sari called the clan’s pilot and instructed him to get the jet ready for departure.
David’s sister and mother lived in Anaheim, and Charlie had suggested they fly directly to Orange County instead of the clan’s strip.
Both calls had taken only a few minutes, and during that time, David hadn’t left the armchair. He seemed paralyzed, and she wondered whether he was still weak from his transition or in a state of shock.